


Grace & Frankie in England

by lesbiansharp



Category: Grace and Frankie (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Grace and Frankie - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 13:50:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18621907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbiansharp/pseuds/lesbiansharp
Summary: “It would’ve been easier if you’d died.”Grace felt awful about it only moments afterward, but she couldn’tbring herself to apologize to Robert. Pride would not allow it. Sheknew that it was not his fault, in fact she knew it very well, but shejust sat there at her vanity, frozen. Her husband was gay. GraceHanson thought back on so many occasions over the years, Robert hadn’tloved her the way her ought to have done. But Grace hadn’t loved himin that way either. She sighed and got up, walking a few steps over tothe small space between her bed and the wall and slumped down there,curling herself into a ball on the floor.





	Grace & Frankie in England

**Author's Note:**

> Grace and Frankie have never met, but after meeting in a bar in London they find they have much in common. It's the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

“It would’ve been easier if you’d died.”  
Grace felt awful about it only moments afterward, but she couldn’t  
bring herself to apologize to Robert. Pride would not allow it. She  
knew that it was not his fault, in fact she knew it very well, but she  
just sat there at her vanity, frozen. Her husband was gay. Grace  
Hanson thought back on so many occasions over the years, Robert hadn’t  
loved her the way her ought to have done. But Grace hadn’t loved him  
in that way either. She sighed and got up, walking a few steps over to  
the small space between her bed and the wall and slumped down there,  
curling herself into a ball on the floor.  
She began to cry, quietly. Rigidly, she shook but there was no sound,  
just a feeling of tightness all over her body, in her bones. She  
reached beside her, underneath the bed, and pulled out a bottle of  
vodka. On occasions like this, Grace was glad of her squirrel-like  
habits of stashing away alcohol, a drink would make it better. A drink  
always did. She had downed a third of the brand new bottle before  
she’d even been aware of having opened the cap. Grace set it aside and  
closed her eyes, tears squishing out of the corners. She fell asleep  
like that, in a ball on the floor of her bedroom, emotions taunting  
her.  
She woke up rather sore. Stiffly, Grace rose just enough to collapse  
backwards onto her bed. Robert. She needed to speak to Robert.  
Hurriedly, she got up from the bed and took a swig of the bottle  
laying open on her bedside table. Rubbing her eyes, she made herself  
decent and went in search of her husband.  
“I didn’t mean it, what I said. Last night. I didn’t mean that.”  
Robert turned his head to look at Grace.  
“I know you didn’t.”  
“I feel like garbage and I need to do something with myself. - Sorry I  
said that but I really can’t be - here. Anymore. I need a vacation.”  
Robert looked at her quizzically but knew not to say anything when  
Grace was going berserk. “I need to go to Europe. That’s it. I’ve  
always wanted to and now I will. Tell the girls I said to watch  
themselves. Tell Brianna to fire that idiot I told her to fire. I know  
she hasn't. I need a martini. And then I’m going. And Robert? We’re  
going to talk when I get back.”  
Robert nodded. In truth, Grace scared him. So ‘just going along with  
it’ was a good idea, it had always seemed to be.  
Grace disappeared back up the stairs to get ready, doing her hair and  
makeup, she packed the button-downs and blazers she wanted in her  
leather suitcase. Going online, she purchased a one-way ticket from  
San Diego to London for half past 1 later that day. It was pricey, but  
she didn’t care. Priorities had changed.  
She looked at herself in the mirror, sighing. Grace lifted her hand to  
her face and traced the wrinkles that were there, from the corner of  
her mouth to her jaw. She blinked, then shook her head.  
Grace didn’t eat before she left the house. She left her flask on the  
kitchen table. It wouldn’t have been allowed on the airplane. Grace  
rolled out, putting her suitcase in the trunk of her car.  
She went through airport security easily enough, having drank less  
than she normally would’ve earlier in the day. She took a seat on the  
plane with her neck pillow and a book about product marketing. She  
wiped her glasses against the shoulder of her cardi before putting  
them on, glancing underneath them at the strangers around her.  
After a time, she grew tired but she didn’t want to sleep on the  
plane. She didn’t like the idea of strangers seeing her sleep, nothing  
made her more uncomfortable.  
Grace bought herself a coffee, she kinda wanted a smoke. What an  
inopportune time for THAT craving. Grace sighed and folded her little  
pillow, pulling a face. She wanted a martini.  
Eventually, she had gotten so tired that she just nodded off, too  
exhausted to think about people looking at her during her rest.  
Grace awoke to a small child crying loudly and scowled. She thought of  
sticky fingers and sticky faces and never-ending noise. Kids were  
awful. She cracked her neck and looked at the people around her, most  
of which were asleep. Grace tried closing her eyes again but found it  
impossible to drift off, so she turned on her reading light and went  
back to her marketing book.

After what seemed like decades, the plane landed in London and Grace  
and the other passengers exited through the airport.  
Grace made a beeline to the toilets for a wee, she’d tried to pee a  
minimal amount of times on the plane as she loathed airplane  
washrooms. She tried to freshen up at the sink, feeling icky from  
being in a confined space.  
Walking around the airport, she eventually decided to get something to  
sustain herself and bought a falafel wrap and some coffee. Feeling  
better, she got in a cab to the hotel she had booked not long before.  
The cab driver seemed awfully inexperienced, and Grace made it known  
to him that it was obvious by her facial expressions and manner,  
however, she eventually got to her hotel where she collapsed on the  
bed, jet lagged.  
When she woke from her nap, it was late evening. She had a pounding  
headache, Grace hadn’t had a drink for quite some time by this point,  
and she was craving alcohol.  
Changing into a black blouse, tight jeans, and putting her hair up,  
Grace went in search of a pub or bar. Getting in a taxi, she wrote the  
address of her hotel on the back of her hand in case she was in no fit  
state to remember it when she got out, in case she was totally pissed  
up to her eyeballs. The driver pulled up to the bar, the Nightjar, and  
Grace got out, paying the cabbie.  
She sat at the bar and ordered her usual vodka martini, two olives,  
very dry.  
The bartender picked up on her American accent.  
“On vacation, ma’am?”  
“Something like that,” grumbled Grace.  
She was about three drinks in, her head in her hands, slumped over the  
counter. She felt pretty lonely but buried that down and transformed  
the emotion into general irritability, which she threw at those in her  
immediate vicinity. Someone came around behind her and tapped her  
shoulder, Grace whipped her head around fast, preparing to go off at  
whomever it was for disturbing her peace.  
“Can I sit there?” a woman with bushy grey hair and bright eyes asked.  
“Uh...sure,” grumbled Grace, making a gesture to the bar stool left of  
her.

The woman sat down gingerly, sipping her water. Grace stared at her  
somewhat rudely.  
“I’m - Frankie Bergstein,” she said her name oddly, like there were no  
spaces and the letters were squished together. The K in her name  
sounded like a G when she said it, so it came out sounding like  
“Frangiebergstein,” as if her nose was stuffed or something. Grace  
analyzed this in her brain.  
She squinted.  
“I’m Grace Hanson.”  
“You’re on vacation?” asked crazy-haired Frankie.  
“Sort of. Not really. You?”  
“Same.” Frankie pulled a face. “Just getting away...from the shit. You  
know.”  
Grace raised her eyebrows.  
“I DO know.”  
Frankie smiled a cheesy smile.  
“So what are you really doing in London?”  
“Well,” siad Grace. “Isn’t that a story.”  
“I have time.” Frankie slammed her glass onto the table, startling  
Grace. “Fuck it, I have all the time in the world.”  
Grace pulled a face but began to tell her new friend about her  
situation with her soon to be ex-husband.  
As Grace explained, the other woman’s eyes grew wider and wider, and  
Grace stopped talking to her for fear they might pop out of her head.  
“What the fuck, Frankie?”  
“Grace!”  
“That’s my name yeah,” she rolled her eyes.  
“You know what’s really fucking funny?” Frankie asked.  
“I don’t see anything funny about the way my life has crumbled to the  
ground. No. Sorry,” Grace said sarcastically.  
“The same - well a similar thing happened to me. My husband left me  
anyways, that’s why I’m here. My husband left me for a man.”  
“No shit,” said Grace. “You’re kidding.”  
“I truly wish I was,” said Frankie, becoming suddenly quite serious.  
She fiddled with the chunky rings on her short fingers.  
“What are the odds...” mumbled Grace.  
“Yeah really. How have you been taking it?”  
“Less than great,” said Grace, “but I’m honestly somewhat relieved. We  
never really had much of a romance.”  
“Wish I could relate,” laughed Frankie, but she seemed sad.  
Grace gave her a concerned look and took a gulp of her martini.

“I really loved Sol,” said Frankie. “It’s hard...”  
Being the competitive (and bitchy) one, Grace had to sound like she  
was suffering more, she just couldn’t resist.  
“It really is far worse for me though Frankie.”  
Frankie looked like she’d been slapped in the face.  
“How can you say that? It sounds like you didn’t even like Robert.” She looked hurt and slammed her drink down to the table, storming off to the bathroom.  
Grace followed her, Frankie was already locked in the far stall. Nobody else was in the washroom, just them.  
“Fuck off,” groaned Frankie from the toilet.  
“I am sorry Frankie. I don’t know why i said that. Sometimes i just can’t resist being... well, being really mean. I need to work on it, I want to. Will you forgive me? Frankie?”  
Frankie groaned.  
“Of course i forgive you. Just- adjust the goddamned attitude, eh?”  
Grace chuckled, leaning against the stall door, relaxing against it.  
“Thank you Frankie.”  
Just then, Frankie decided to swing open the stall door, an  
unsuspecting Grace falling on top of her.  
“Woops!”  
Frankie caught them in time to avoid anyone falling in the toilet  
itself. Grace laughed.  
“That was a close one!”  
Frankie straightened herself, helping Grace to stand properly as well.  
After that awkward situation, both women had sorted themselves out and  
were standing by the sink in the washroom not long after.  
“Hey Grace?” Frankie caught the other woman’s attention.  
“Yeah?”  
“Wanna stay together? It could be fun, we’ve nothing to lose, nowhere  
we need to be and I like you, Grace. I have a really good feeling  
about this.”  
Grace looked a tad puzzled. Why would Frankie want to stick with her?  
They’d only just met and were in a strange city. However, Grace felt  
safe with Frankie, almost like she had known the other woman her whole  
life even though they had only just met. She trusted Frankie.  
“...Yeah. Actually, I would like that.” Grace smiled at her new  
friend. “Where have you been staying?”

“Nowhere yet. Haven’t planned, I only flew in this morning.”  
“Wanna stay with me?” Grace suggested. “It’ll save some trouble.”  
“That sounds alright.” Frankie smiled warmly.  
The two of them returned to the bar and had one or two more drinks  
before Grace decided that they ought to call a cab. They got in a cab  
a while later and Grace drunkenly showed the cabbie her hand where she  
had written the address of the hotel. He nodded and they eventually  
arrived, both staggering to Grace’s hotel room.  
“Can you believe we only just met today?” Frankie said as they both  
collapsed backwards onto Grace’s bed.  
“I feel as if I’ve known you all my life.” Said Grace, regarding  
Frankie very seriously.  
“I know what you mean.” Frankie kicked off her shoes... clogs. They were  
clogs. Grace hadn’t noticed them earlier. She pulled a face.  
“Clogs?”  
“Yeah. They’re eco-friendly, and there’s springs, see?”  
“Right.” Grace rolled her eyes. Hippie dippie bullshit.  
“Don’t you go judging my clothes, Ms. popped collar with seven  
necklaces.”  
“Hey!” Grace grinned. “Nothing wrong with that!”  
Frankie gave her a bit of side eye, Grace burst out laughing.  
“Oh, Frankie.”  
Grace slid off her heels, tossing them over towards the door and  
flopped back down onto the bed.  
“My head is going to hurt like the dickens tomorrow.” Grace whined,  
“Fuck me in the eye.”  
“I’ll take care of you.”  
“Thanks Frankie.”  
Grace sighed, she was in an awkward position, on her back. She got up  
and drunkenly staggered to the bathroom, washing up and changing into  
her nighty. Exiting the bathroom, she remembered something.  
“Your things?” She asked Frankie, “Don’t you have a suitcase?”  
“Nah. Just my backpack.” Said her friend. “Didn’t wanna pay extra for  
luggage on the plane.”  
“Right.” Said Grace. “Bathroom’s all yours.”

“Thanks pal.” Frankie rose stiffly from the bed, grabbing some flannel  
pajamas and her toiletries from the pin-covered backpack she had  
brought with her.  
Grace sat on the edge of the bed, her head was starting to pound a  
bit. She got some water from her suitcase, fancy bottled water, not  
tap. She sat back, sipping the water, realizing how odd her current  
situation was. She had brought some random woman whom she had only  
just met that day back to her hotel room. It wasn’t like Grace, but  
Grace didn’t feel much like herself anymore and she trusted her new  
friend with her life.  
Frankie finally emerged from the bathroom. She made a gesture towards  
the bed.  
“Left side or right? I call middle!”  
Grace smiled.  
“Left, I suppose.” She got under the blankets and Frankie climbed in  
after, resting her head in the crook of Grace’s neck. Grace Hanson  
smiled, everything really was going to be okay. Someone was on her  
side, someone cared about her. She flicked the lamp off and relaxed,  
falling asleep.  
It was about half three in the morning when Grace awoke to the sound  
of muttering. She was in a strange room, in a strange bed. Her head  
was absolutely throbbing, and there was a woman laying beside her, the  
source of the noise.  
Where am I?Grace thought, and then remembered London. She was in London. But who the fuck was she sleeping with? Exactly how pissed had she gotten last night?  
Grace rose from the bed and walked towards the hotel room window. She  
sat in the chair nearby and looked out. She could see the city lights  
and the events of last night slowly trickled back into her memory.  
Sitting back down on the corner of the bed, Grace watched her friend  
sleeping peacefully.  
“Hey!” She whisper-yelled to Frankie, 3:30 am didn't feel that early  
for Grace so she didn’t think it would be taken poorly if she woke  
Frankie up. She turned out to be sorely mistaken, Frankie Bergstien  
was anything but a morning person.  
“What the fUcK!?” Frankie scowled at the other woman. “Grace what time  
is it?”

“Uhhh... three-thirty.” Grace said cautiously.  
“THREE AM?” Frankie sounded upset.  
“...yes.”  
“Go away.” Grumbled Frankie.  
“Sorry?”  
“Yeah you fucking should be.” She groaned aggressively before rolling  
over and falling back to sleep.  
Grace had gone to get ready for the day, she couldn’t go back to sleep once she was awake, never could. She thought about planning her day, a road trip, she thought.A road trip would be brilliant.They didn’t have anywhere they needed to be, no one they needed to be there for, just time on their hands. Grace decided that when Frankie woke up on her own accord that she would ask her if she liked the idea.  
It was three quarters past twelve when Frankie finally awoke. Grace had been sitting on the edge of the bed, reading her product marketing book, glancing at her sleeping friend every little while.  
“Hey sleepyhead.”  
Frankie grunted.  
“Morning.”  
“More like afternoon!” Grace exclaimed. “Listen, i’ve got an idea. Wanna go on a road trip?”  
“As long as we stop at Taco Bell, i’m down.” Frankie said, laughing. “Honestly Grace I think that’s a BRILLIANT idea, but just so you know, Francesalways drives.”  
Grace raised one eyebrow.  
“Frances. So you dohave a proper name.”  
Frankie pulled a face.  
“Hey- don’t start.”  
“I haven’t done anything! Go get ready, let’s do this. I’ll call a car rental... get in the shower, eh.”  
When Frankie emerged from the bathroom, Grace had packed her things  
and sorted out their car rental.  
“Wanna get breaky?”  
“Fuck yeah I do, i’m FAMISHED!”  
Grace chuckled.  
“Get your things then, slow poke. We still need to check out of the  
hotel.”  
Frankie had three muffins from the continental breakfast at the hotel,  
Grace had a black coffee.

“When did you last eat?” Frankie looked concerned.  
“Oh i don’t know... yesterday? The day before?” Grace shrugged.  
“Grace... your body needs food you know.”  
“My body does quite fine without.”  
“Okayyyy...”  
Frankie decided to leave it for the drive, when she could interrogate  
her friend properly.  
The two of them got into a Cab, Grace gave the cabbie the address of  
the car rental place.  
“You do realize that you have to drive with the steering wheel on the  
wrong side, and drive on the wrong side of the road, right Frances?”  
“I’ll manage, I swear. I won’t kill us.”  
“Or anyone else?”  
“Or anyone else.”  
They soon came to a stop in front of the rental place, Grace and  
Frankie got out, thanked the cab driver and Grace payed.  
“So what’s this car like? Anything special? Must be since it’s you  
paying the rental fee and you’re the most EXTRA person i know.”  
Grace grinned.  
“Well I guess you’ll see!”  
They entered the building, Grace first. She addressed the desk agent,  
“Grace Hanson. I called earlier?”  
“Yeah... red Austin Mini.” The Clerk smiled at her.  
“That’s the one.” She could see Frankie’s eyes widen.  
“Christ on a cupcake! How did you know this was what I drove in  
secondary school?”  
“I didn’t! Lucky guess.” Grace got the keys from the Lady and payed.  
“You’ll be alright driving on the right side, yeah?” The woman asked.  
“I think we’ll manage. Thank you.” Grace confirmed, and Frankie  
flashed her international drivers’ license. They exited the building,  
Grace dangling the keys in front of her friend’s face. Frankie  
snatched them.  
“My driver’s license expires in september so we’ve got a month for  
this trip,” Said Frankie as she sat down in the driver's’ seat.  
“Time enough.” Grace smiled.  
“Let’s go take on the world!”  
“Start with England. Let’s go get that Taco Bell first, eh.”  
Frankie turned the key and they pulled out of the parking lot,  
accidentally turning on the windshield wipers instead of the turning  
signal.

“Fuck dammit.”  
They were off to a great start.


End file.
